


steal my case (and my heart)

by bezziemates



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, but not really, kinda enemies to lovers, let's face it lena can only antagonize kara for two seconds tops, then her resolve just crumbles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 10:20:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16659346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bezziemates/pseuds/bezziemates
Summary: Only four days into solving the biggest case she’s ever gotten in the history of her detective career, Lena learns that she has to share it with Kara Danvers, an annoyingly attractive Major Crimes detective.Bright blue eyes be damned, Lena is solving this case on her own.(In which Lena tries, and fails, to maintain her resolve around Kara.)





	steal my case (and my heart)

**Author's Note:**

> basically, i binge-watched brooklyn nine-nine, and this is what came out of it. 
> 
> anyway, sorry for any mistakes and i hope this doesn’t suck

There’s something indescribably satisfying about solving cases, and every time Lena closes a case, she gets a feeling that can’t be replicated by anything else — except maybe looking her mother in the eye and telling her to get out of her apartment (not that she really needs to do that anymore).

It’s one of the reasons she decided to become a detective in the first place. And after working her way up from the bottom, she’s happy where she is.

Sam walks up to her desk with a grin, leaning against it. “Just arrested another perp. An eighty-five year old man who murdered his wife and somehow managed to pass it off as a natural death.”

Lena raises an eyebrow. “How did he murder her?”

“Raised a knife up to her neck, and she got so scared that she had a heart attack. He didn’t even get the chance to slit her throat.”

Lena frowns, then. “Why did he even murder her to begin with?”

“Apparently, he wanted their house to himself. I don’t even want to know why he went to such lengths to achieve that,” Sam replies, shaking her head. “How’s the robbery case going?”

Lena sighs, looking at the opened case file on her desk. She’s been working on the same case for the past few days, but there are barely any leads at all. At this rate, she’d probably take at least a week to solve this — a group of armed robbers taking two million dollars from the bank.

J’onn had entrusted her with the case, saying that he had faith that she’d be able to solve it, but over the past few days, she’d been hitting dead ends.

Before she can reply to Sam, J’onn’s voice sounds from his office. “Detective Luthor, my office, now.”

Lena stands up from her desk, exchanging a look with Sam. Sam places a hand on her shoulder, patting lightly, then moves aside to let her walk to J’onn’s office.

“Captain,” Lena greets as she walks into the office, closing the door behind her. J’onn closes a previously-opened folder and places it aside, then stands up.

“The DA just contacted me,” J’onn says, cutting to the chase. Lena’s stomach drops at his words — she already knows what this conversation is about, and how it’s going to go.

Every time the DA contacts J’onn, it means that they’re transferring an important case from their precinct to another sector in the NCPD. And every time, it’s always the Major Crimes sector. Lena has memories of chasing down criminals a whole twelve blocks, and when she finally cuffs them, Mike Matthews comes in, smug smile on his face, and says, “I’ll take it from here.”

For the past two years, Mike Matthews has been the one Major Crimes detective assigned to take all the cases from Lena’s precinct. And considering that this case involves a lot of money, Lena is confident that that devil incarnate is going to come any moment now and take her case.

“They want to give your case to Major Crimes,” J’onn says, and Lena sighs as the other shoe drops.

“Captain, I can solve this case. I’m already working on it, and I’m going to investigate more today.”

“I know that you’ve been working very hard on this case,” J’onn says earnestly, “but this isn’t within my control. The DA does what they want to do.”

Lena’s nostrils flare. “I just need a few more days.”

“I’m sorry, Luthor, I can’t do anything. I don’t have the authority. I tried to convince them to give us more time, but they are confident that Major Crimes can handle this better than we can.”

“Well, Mike Matthews can pry this case from my cold, dead hands,” Lena retorts.

J’onn fights back a smile as he nods. “I have, however, negotiated with the DA to let you share this case with Major Crimes instead of giving it to them.”

Lena immediately shakes her head in protest. There is no way she’s going to work on a case with Mike. She’d rather stab herself in the eye with a fork than work with that douchebag. She can already imagine the horror — taking the case seriously while Mike tries to throw crushed paper balls into the trash bin, Mike leering at her and every other woman in the precinct, and, worst of all, _doing stake-outs_ with Mike.

Never. In a million years.

“I refuse to share a case with Matthews,” Lena says emphatically.

J’onn nods again. “I have made that very clear to the DA. They’ve agreed to send another detective to work with you. But, the detective is still from Major Crimes.”

Lena sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I don’t have a choice here, do I?” There’s a pang of disappointment reverberating through her chest at the fact that her fate really is sealed — the most complex and exciting case she’s had in her entire career is being pried from her grasp. Well, half the case, since she has to share it with someone else.

“Unfortunately not. I tried my best to let you have this case, but this is the best I could do.”

Then there’s a knock on the door, and J’onn gets up, walking to the door and opening it. A woman stands at the doorway. “Hello! Are you Captain J’onn J’onzz?”

Lena can see J’onn nodding in her peripheral, but her focus is almost solely on the woman standing in front of him. She’s wearing a suit, the tapered pants and blazer both black, and her blouse white. In one of her hands is a briefcase, while her other hand is adjusting her glasses. Her blonde hair is tied up into a neat ponytail, and a warm smile sits on her features.

Lena supposes that this is the Major Crimes detective she’ll be working with. Right off the bat, just by association, Lena already dislikes her.

If anyone asks, this woman’s beautiful smile doesn’t affect her. At all.

It most certainly doesn’t make her consider that maybe Mike isn’t representative of every detective in Major Crimes, no. This is her case. This woman, no matter how attractive, is stealing her case, and she isn’t happy about it — bright blue eyes be damned.

“Yes, I am,” J’onn says, gesturing for her to come into the office. The woman walks in and stands beside Lena, leaving a few feet between them. Lena steadily avoids eye contact, despite the fact that she can feel the blonde’s eyes training curiously on her.

J’onn moves back behind his desk. “You must be Detective Kara Danvers.”

The woman — Kara, apparently — nods. Lena chances a glance at her, and notes that Kara is still smiling. Immediately, Kara’s eyes snap to meet hers, and Lena turns her head, looking away.

“That’s me. I’ve been assigned to work on a robbery case?”

J’onn nods, then gestures to Lena. “This is one of the best detectives in our precinct, Detective Lena Luthor. She’ll be working with you on this case.”

Kara sticks her hand out, grin widening. If it were any other person, Lena would have likely refused to shake their hand. But Kara looks so earnest and hopeful, and damn it, Lena’s weak already.

She takes Kara’s hand, pushing away the instinctive thought that Kara has very soft hands that apply just the right amount of firmness—

_Wow, she really needs to get herself together._

“Nice to meet you,” Kara says, smiling.

Lena manages a tight smile. “Likewise,” she forces out awkwardly.

“Detective Luthor will brief you on the case, and afterwards, you are free to start working on it. Luthor, please show Detective Danvers to your desk,” J’onn says. “Dismissed.”

Lena immediately turns around, opening the door and walking out. She hears the door close behind her, glancing back briefly to see that Kara had been the one to close it. The sound of rushed footsteps follow, and Lena stops abruptly at her desk, spinning around to find Kara letting out a small sound of surprise and stopping even more abruptly so as not to crash into her.

Kara steps back slightly, eyes wide, and brings a hand up to adjust her glasses.

Lena picks up the case file from her desk, holding it in her hand. “Look, Detective Danvers, I understand that—”

“You can just call me Kara,” Kara says, smiling.

“Look, Kara,” Lena corrects, barely masking her irritation. “I understand that you’ve been assigned to work on this case. And that it’s not your choice.”

“Actually, it was,” Kara replies. Lena raises an eyebrow at that. “Mike really wanted to work on this case, but he looked really, um, sadistic about it.” She clears her throat. “I didn’t trust his intentions, so when Captain asked if anyone else was willing to take the case, I volunteered.”

“Oh,” Lena mutters. A small wave of guilt washes over her at that — Kara basically saved her from having to work with Mike. Which makes her feel a little less hostile, but Kara is also taking away the opportunity for her to solve a big case on her own. So she steels herself, and continues, “Well, either way, as glad as I am that you’re here to help, I don’t need it. I can solve this case on my own.”

Kara’s brows furrow slightly. “But we’re supposed to work on it together.”

“I don’t need your help. Or anyone’s help, for that matter,” Lena says pointedly.

“Well, I’m here to help. And I’m not going anywhere,” Kara says. There’s no bite to it, no hostility. She’s just so _nice_ , it’s unnerving.

“You can sit there and do whatever you want, and I’ll solve this. I’ll put your name on it if you want,” Lena offers. “But I’m doing the investigation on my own.”

“First of all, I’m not going to take credit for something that I didn’t do,” Kara says, frowning. “Second, what I want is to do this investigation with you.”

“Why are you so determined to help me?” Lena asks, annoyed.

“Because I’m literally _assigned_ to this case,” Kara replies, frown deepening. Which, okay, she has a point. But Lena is not about to give this up. This case is hers. And she won’t sit around and let it be torn out of her grasp just like that. “Why are you so determined to do this on your own?” Kara asks in return.

“Because this is _my_ case,” Lena says forcefully, lifting up the case file and using her free hand to prod it. “For the past two years, Major Crimes — more specifically, that douchebag _Matthews_ — has been stealing this precinct’s cases for absolutely no reason at all.”

Kara lets out a breath. “I’m sorry about that. About him.”

“You don't have to apologize,” Lena says, trying to calm down. “This is Matthew’s fault, not yours.” Kara stays silent, as though knowing that anything she says will only serve to worsen the situation. “This is the biggest case I’ve ever gotten, and I’m doing just fine so far, but the DA doesn’t have faith in me, or this precinct, to solve it. And now it’s being given away, even when I’ve already put in four days of work into it.”

“I wouldn't say _given away_ —”

“It was supposed to be given away. Captain J’onzz managed to convince the DA to let us share the case instead.”

“Oh,” Kara murmurs.

“I can solve this on my own. I don't need help,” Lena reiterates, eyes sharp as she glares at Kara.

“I agree,” Kara says. Lena’s expression morphs into one of confusion, but her posture remains stiff. “You don't need help. You can definitely solve this on your own. The DA didn’t assign help to you, they assigned a partner. And I am that partner, whether you like it or not.”

Kara’s tone is neutral, definitely closer to gentle than hostile. There’s still no bite to her words, but she has a way with them. She makes it clear that she’s standing her ground, and if Lena wasn’t so angry, she would probably be noticeably aroused.

Lena takes a deep breath, then raises the case file, holding it out to Kara.

It takes Kara a second to realize that Lena’s relinquishing her stubbornness, and the moment it dawns on her, her lips immediately curl up into a bright smile, eyes crinkling at the corners.

Instinctively, Lena thinks that that smile and the twinkle in Kara’s eyes were totally worth swallowing her pride.

Then she pushes the thought away, and shoves it deep down. A small voice in the back of her mind nags that maybe, just maybe, she won't be able to just forget Kara after this whole investigation.

She shoves that voice away, too.

//

While Kara sits at Lena’s desk typing away at her laptop and flipping through the case file, Lena sits adjacent to her, stewing and fiddling with her pen.

She feels bad. She feels _really_ bad.

Kara’s just trying to do her job. She was courteous — more than courteous, actually, she was kind and reasonable — and all Lena did was try to chase her off. She’s just been an all-around asshole, and she can’t stop thinking about it.

Pictures of the crime scene glare back at Lena from her computer screen, but she can’t for the life of her focus on her work. The only thing going through her mind is a constant replay of what happened earlier.

Kara doesn’t even look mad. She’s just typing, looking quite relaxed and going about her work at a steady pace. A part of Lena actually wants her to be mad. She wants Kara to hate her, and scream and shout, so that she’ll have to apologize.

She already swallowed her pride earlier, there’s nothing left to swallow. She should just apologize. _Why is it so hard?_

Eventually, after fifty-two minutes of stewing and stealing glances at Kara, she speaks up. “I’m sorry.”

Kara stops typing at her words, looking at her curiously. She doesn’t say anything — presumably waiting for Lena to continue, and so she does.

“I made things very difficult for you earlier. I was being a rude bitch, and I took my anger out on you. You didn’t do anything to deserve that.”

Kara moves her chair closer to the desk, leaning forward. Her eyes search Lena’s face, imploring and an indescribably beautiful shade of blue. “It’s okay.”

Lena shakes her head, pen tapping on the desk repeatedly. “It’s not. It’s not okay, and you don’t have to act like it is. I was unfair to you, and I didn’t give you a chance. I’m sorry.”

“Lena,” Kara says, and the name of rolls off her tongue smoothly even though this is the first time she’s addressed Lena by her name. For some reason, Lena wants to hear her say it again. It’s enchanting. “Stop apologizing. All is forgiven, alright?”

Lena frowns, pen still tapping nervously on the table.

“We may have gotten off on the wrong foot. But it’s okay. Mike left an understandably terrible impression of Major Crimes on both you and this precinct,” Kara says, smiling a little. Then Lena feels a hand on hers, halting her movements. “Please stop hurting your pen.”

Lena laughs, and a small weight is lifted from her shoulders. “Okay. But I still feel really bad. I owe you one.” She tries to ignore the feeling of Kara’s hand on hers, but she can't, and really, _whose skin is this soft?_

“One?” Kara asks quizzically.

“Yes, one favor. Or gift. Anything you want.”

Kara grins. “Anything?”

Lena doesn’t normally do favors, and she certainly doesn’t offer favors to people she doesn’t trust or know well. But she was a bitch to Kara, and this is the least she can do for her. That, and something about Kara makes Lena feel like she can trust her.

Maybe it’s her smile. Or her eyes. Or both?

_She really needs to stop._

Lena nods. “Anything.”

Kara points a finger at her. “You better not regret that, Luthor. I give you one last chance to take it back. When you say anything, you mean _anything_? Anything at all?”

Lena nods again. “You name it, I’ll do it.”

“Deal.”

//

They start the investigation as soon as Kara’s done with the initial paperwork.

Kara flips through the case file slowly, going over all the evidence Lena has collected thus far. Lena points to a picture of the masked men — a screenshot of the surveillance footage. “I already found out where the mask was made. It’s in a small shop, in a more rural area of National City.”

“Did you look through the surveillance footage from that shop?” Kara asks.

Lena nods. “There was nothing, but the storekeeper did say that he got a special request for a delivery. When I went to the address he gave me, it was just an abandoned warehouse. I went to check the database for the warehouse’s previous use, and there was nothing.”

“Nothing at all?” Kara questions, frowning in confusion.

“Well, sometimes the uses for a warehouse aren’t recorded. It’s just used by the person who bought it.”

“Do you know who bought it, then?”

Lena shakes her head. “The seller passed away twenty-eight years ago, and there were no credit card transactions. I think the payment was made in cash.”

“This robbery was planned for a long time,” Kara concludes.

Lena nods. “I think so too. Ever since the warehouse was bought, something was up. Whoever robbed this bank had planned to do it from the very beginning.”

“Maybe not from the beginning,” Kara says, thinking out loud, and Lena tilts her head curiously.

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe they bought it in cash because they were starting a business, so they didn’t have much money. That’s why they didn’t use a credit card. And that’s why it was bought such a long time ago. It’s a family business,” Kara explains.

Lena’s eyes widen slightly, and she leans forward, typing frantically into her computer. “There are a few surrounding warehouses, but they’re all empty as well. Maybe they were all owned by the same business. And if this business bought one with cash, that must have been their first warehouse.”

“Which means that all the warehouses in the area were likely bought after they became more successful. They probably used a credit card to purchase those,” Kara finishes for her, grinning.

“Bingo,” Lena says, just as the credit card information pulls up on the screen.

“Peter Lockwood,” Kara reads aloud. “Let’s get an address and pay him a visit.”

Lena nods, and pulls up Peter Lockwood’s profile in the NCPD database. She skims over his particulars, until one word catches her eye — ‘deceased’. She turns to look at Kara, not realizing how close they were.

Their noses are a little more than an inch from brushing, and at such a short distance from her, Lena can see every speck of color in Kara’s eyes. An infinite number of shades of blue swirl around, almost like a void — Lena almost forgets what she was talking about until Kara blinks. Then she snaps out of whatever trance she was in, and Kara seems to do the same as they both move back simultaneously.

“Kara,” Lena says, trying to dissipate whatever tension that had built up as a result of their previous proximity. “Peter Lockwood is dead.”

“Right, um,” Kara stutters, clearing her throat. “What about his son?”

Lena looks up Peter’s son, and finds the profile of Benjamin Lockwood, who is stated to live in the same address that had been listed in Peter’s particulars. “It’s the same address. Come on, let’s see if we can get anything.”

Lena gets up from her chair, feeling Kara’s eyes burn into the side of her head, but she doesn’t say anything.

There’s no way she’s developing a crush on Kara. She’s known her for less than three hours. And they’re partners. And Kara is in Major Crimes. And they know nothing about each other. _There’s no way._

Lena steals a glance at Kara just as she’s about to get into the car, and she feels a distinctive flutter in her chest.

_Damn it._

//

Throughout the car ride, Lena thinks over her situation. She’s painfully aware of Kara’s presence not more than three feet away from her, and the only sounds in the car are the songs playing on the radio, and the occasional rhythmic tapping of Kara’s fingers on the steering wheel.

There are two things Lena can do. She can either try to get to know Kara better, or she can push her away.

But Lena isn’t stupid, and she knows herself. She knows that both options will somehow end up in her feelings for Kara growing into something real and genuine and _strong_ , so she figures that she may as well treat Kara with the respect she clearly deserves, and attempt to befriend her. Kara’s making it way too easy, anyway, if Lena goes by the way she smiles warmly, and talks freely, and really, she’s just all-around friendly.

The problem, however, is not Kara. The problem is Lena.

The problem is that she’s afraid she’ll fuck things up, and she knows that the moment she befriends Kara, there’s no going back. Her feelings will only grow from there, and it will spiral into one big mess of unrequited love.

If Sam were here, she’d tell Lena to take things one step at a time. To stop overthinking everything and assuming an outcome even though she hasn’t even embarked on anything that would lead to that particular outcome.

_Okay, one step at a time._

By the time they arrive at their destination, Lena has a plan. She’ll just go with the flow. It’ll be okay. Worst comes to worst, she’ll flee the country and change her name. No big deal.

A few moments after they knock on the door, it’s pulled open, and they come face-to-face with a woman.

“Hi, I’m Detective Kara Danvers with the NCPD,” Kara greets, raising her badge.

“I’m Detective Lena Luthor, also with the NCPD,” Lena says, raising her own badge. “Does Benjamin Lockwood live here?”

The woman nods. “Yes, I’m his wife, Lydia. He’s currently on a business trip. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.”

“Do you know anything about the Lockwood Steel?” Kara asks.

Lydia nods. “When Ben’s father, Peter, passed away a year ago, he was very torn up about it. He shut down the company, saying he didn’t want to be reminded of it anymore.”

“Did the company go bankrupt at any time? Were there any financial burdens on your family?” Lena questions.

“Yes. A new metal alloy called Nth metal had been created a few years ago, and it’s infinitely stronger than steel. Because of that, the company’s profits started to decrease rapidly. Peter started living off of us. Our only income was from Ben’s job,” Lydia explains.

“What did he work as?” Kara asks.

“A university professor. He got fired a few months ago, but recently he said he found a new job. He’s been out of the house a lot,” Lydia says.

Lena nods. “Okay, that’ll be all for now. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Lockwood.”

Lydia smiles. “You’re welcome.”

When the door closes, Lena turns to Kara. “I know what’s going on.”

//

“Ben Lockwood is the mastermind,” Lena says, walking quickly back to her desk. She searches the database, then pulls up a picture of him and the workers in the steel plant. The picture dates back to two years ago. “These people. They were the ones who robbed the bank.”

“After shutting down Lockwood Steel and losing his job, he knew he would need money, so he robbed the bank and split it with those workers,” Kara says, as though reading Lena’s mind.

Lena nods. “Exactly. But where is he hiding?”

“Lena, it’s getting late. Maybe we should continue this tomorrow,” Kara says with a small laugh.

“But we’re so close,” Lena protests, lips curling downwards.

“I know. But breaks are important, and you need one. We can just continue this tomorrow. I’ll even come early, if you want me to.”

Lena smiles a little, then waves a dismissive hand. “No need for that, just come at a normal time. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Kara grins, packing her things into her briefcase and shutting it. “See you!” She leaves with a wave, and Lena stares after her, not looking away until Kara is completely out of sight.

Then Lena feels a presence beside her, and turns to see Sam giving her a shit-eating grin.

Lena points a warning finger at her. “Don’t even start with me, Arias.”

“I haven’t even said anything yet,” Sam replies, raising her hands up in surrender. Lena raises a skeptical eyebrow at her, and after a moment, Sam cracks, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. “Can't blame me for pointing out how obviously into the hot Major Crimes detective you are.”

“I’m not into her!” Lena says, looking around the precinct to make sure that no one is eavesdropping on their conversation.

She grabs Sam’s arm and pulls her into the copy room, closing the door behind her. She doesn’t want anyone else hearing about her newfound crush on Kara, and if word of it gets out, it’ll reach Kara in no time.

“Oh, are we spilling the beans now?” Sam asks, grinning as Lena turns around to look at her.

“There are no beans,” Lena states. Sam looks at her, completely disbelieving. “Okay fine. There are beans.”

Sam pumps her fist. “Yes! I knew it! Come, tell me all about blondie.”

“Her _name_ is Kara. She’s nice, and I may or may not have been a bitch to her when we first met because I was mad about having to share the case with someone else,” Lena says, sighing.

“That’s rough,” Sam replies, grimacing, “but not totally unexpected. What with Matthews and this case being important to you, it’s understandable. How did she react?”

“She stood her ground,” Lena replies, smiling a little at the memory. “She was really nice about everything. Eventually I felt so bad that I couldn't take it anymore, and I apologized. Then I told her I owed her one.”

Sam gasps mockingly. “Lena Luthor! After knowing her for, like, an hour, you offered a _favor_ to her? Who are you and what have you done with the real Lena?”

Lena pouts. “I know, I know. But I felt really bad. I wanted to make it up to her. Anyway, what’s done is done.”

“So, how did your little crush come about?” Sam asks, poking Lena in the arm.

Lena glares at her. “I don't know. I actually don't. I don't know anything about her, but god, she’s just…”

“So hot? So attractive? So alluring?” Sam supplies, grin growing by the second.

“Please stop,” Lena says, groaning. “I’m trying to deal with it. I can't let this get in the way of the investigation. And, most importantly, I can't let her find out. So, if you want to make fun of me, make sure no one else notices or knows what it’s about.”

“Roger that, Captain,” Sam says, giving her a mock salute.

“You’re a dork.”

“You love me, Luthor.”

//

The next day, Kara comes in right on time.

She greets Lena with a casual smile, and compared to yesterday, Lena would say the greeting is a lot less difficult. There’s an ease she feels around Kara that likely can’t be replicated with anyone else, and really, the only reason she’s uncomfortable is because of her crush. Which, she’d like to think she’s keeping it under control relatively well.

Even though she doesn’t know anything about Kara, something about the easy, casual smile Kara gives her makes her feel like they’re friends. Or, at least, a lot more amicable than they were yesterday.

“Hi,” Kara greets, sitting down on the chair that Lena had moved beside her desk when she first entered in the morning.

“Hey,” Lena responds, smiling back at Kara. “So, I have some news.”

“Let me guess: Mike accidentally emailed a porn link to everyone in the NCPD.”

Lena chuckles, ducking her head. “Close, but no.”

“I got it. Last night, instead of heading straight home, you went out clubbing. Then you slept with a celebrity, and now you have their deepest, darkest secret. And you’re going to leak it to TMZ, bring in the big bucks, and split it with me. We’ll never have to work again, and we can stay in a beach house in Hawaii.”

Lena is full-on laughing now, covering her face with her hands. “No, Kara. Where are all these theories coming from?”

“They aren’t theories, Lena. They’re visions. I’m from the future,” Kara says, expression completely serious. Then her face breaks out into a grin, and Lena feels a familiar warmth spread through her chest at the sight.

“Sure you are. Well, the news I have is actually a lot worse than anything of the _theories_ you presented,” Lena states. “You’d be severely disappointed.”

Kara pouts, and for a moment, Lena forgets her own name. Because Kara is easily one of the most attractive people she has ever met, and a pout isn’t exactly helping the situation. She’s trying not to let this crush affect the investigation, but at this rate, she’s going to screw this whole thing up before they’re even two days into it.

“Why? What’s the news?” Kara asks, peering curiously at Lena.

“Ben Lockwood resurfaced. He’s in a rural part of National City, somewhere close to the shop that sold the masks he and his lackeys wore in the robbery,” Lena explains.

“Okay. So that means we can seek him out, right?”

“Yes, but it also means that we have to find him. There’s only one building that he could possibly be in, but we don’t know anything about it.”

“Oh no,” Kara says, catching on. “No,” she repeats, pout deepening.

Lena isn’t going to make to the end of this investigation. She’s not going to make it. There’s no point in trying anymore. Kara is simply too powerful.

“Yes,” Lena manages to say, trying her level best to focus on the conversation and matter at hand, instead of staring at Kara’s face.

“Please don’t tell me we have to do a stake-out.”

“We have to do a stake-out,” Lena says reluctantly.

Kara sighs. “How long will it be?”

“Anywhere from two to four days. It depends on how long it takes for us to gather sufficient information and footage,” Lena says. When she had received the news earlier, her stomach dropped harder than it’s ever dropped before — the mere thought of living in a small confined space with Kara for a minimum of two days makes her want to stab herself.

It’s definitely not going to help this crush she’s got going.

She’s trying to handle the situation. To handle the crush. But a stake-out with Kara will positively make her like Kara even more, which is completely counterproductive.

“Well, we’ll power through,” Kara says optimistically, giving Lena the most earnest look she’s ever seen, eyes sparkling impossibly bright.

It’s in that moment that Lena knows one thing for sure.

_She will not power through._

//

Kara, as expected, is efficient. She sets up the cameras and binoculars quickly, and before Lena knows it, they’re sitting a few feet apart, watching the building opposite them for signs of Ben Lockwood.

The apartment building they’re living in, just like the one opposite them, is less than impressive. And the apartment itself is pretty much a shoebox apartment. There isn’t much space, but Kara is as optimistic as ever, and she makes the most of it.

Lena tries hard to focus on the camera in front of her, but the sight of Kara looking through a pair of binoculars with her tongue poking out in concentration is quite possibly the most captivating thing Lena has ever set eyes on.

The only thing separating them is a small table. Their phones are on it, and a plate of a few sandwiches.

This is the space they’re going to be living in, this is what they’re going to be doing, together, for the next two to four days.

Lena cannot power through.

She’s just not prepared for something of this magnitude. It’s too much.

“This is boring,” Kara says, eighteen minutes in. And Lena agrees. Stake-outs are terrible, and boring. But, she can also stare at Kara all day, every day, and never get bored. So, there are really two ways to look at the situation.

Lena hums in agreement, fiddling with the camera.

“We should play a game,” Kara suggests. At that, Lena turns her head, and finds that Kara is already looking at her, smiling. There’s a jump in her heart rate, but she steadily ignores it.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Twenty questions,” Kara says with a grin. “I think it’s a good way for us to get to know each other.”

“That game will end disappointingly quickly. I’m a very boring person,” Lena states, pursing her lips.

“I’d like to be the judge of that,” Kara replies, her words accompanied by an inviting smile.

Lena doesn’t even try to say no. She already knows she can't.

“Alright then, if you’re sure,” Lena says, smiling a little. She’d take any opportunity to get to know Kara better, anyway, and if it’s being presented to her in the form of a game that would be infinitely more interesting than sitting in silence, she’ll take it without hesitation.

“I’ll start,” Kara says happily. “What’s your favorite color?”

“Blue,” Lena answers without hesitation. Familiar blue eyes enter her thoughts — the reason why she even said blue to begin with — and when she turns to look at Kara, she sees those exact eyes staring back at her. “What’s your favorite food?”

“Potstickers,” Kara replies, not missing a beat.

“What are potstickers?”

Kara gasps, looking more offended than Lena has ever seen her. “You don’t know what potstickers are?” When Lena shakes her head, her jaw drops. “I’m taking you to eat the best potstickers in National City after we’re done with this investigation.”

The statement is so casual, but it tugs at Lena’s heartstrings. The fact that Kara automatically assumes that they’ll still be in touch after this investigation gives her hope that maybe she won’t have to suffer one more person walking out of her life, just like that.

It’s probably odd to say that Kara walking out of her life would hurt, considering the fact that they’re only interacting because of work, and that they barely know each other. But from the very moment Lena first looked at Kara, somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that Kara wouldn’t be easy to forget.

And knowing that her desire to keep in contact with Kara after the investigation is reciprocated makes her feel more than a little relieved.

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons she’s so drawn to Kara.

Talking to Kara, and being around her in general, is easy. Kara just makes it easy. She’s warm, and friendly, and welcoming, and everything Lena wants in a person.

It’s as though this crush gets worse and worse with every second she spends with Kara.

_What is wrong with her?_

“Uncle Chen’s is the absolute best. All their food is good, not just the potstickers. I’ve tried almost everything on their menu,” Kara rambles animatedly, waving her hands as she talks. “And you need to try it, too. I’m going to make sure you do. I promise you won’t regret it.”

“I look forward to it, then,” Lena says, trying to keep her voice steady. Her thoughts are racing at an impeccable speed, and her mind won’t shut up, and she really, really needs to get herself together.

“Have you ever been in love?”

Lena almost chokes on air at the question. “Wow, we’re just diving straight into the deep stuff, I see.”

Kara smiles sheepishly. “It’s more fun than small talk. But we don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to.”

“I’ve been in love,” Lena says, ducking her head as her hands fidget restlessly in her lap. “Once. It was a long time ago. I was in boarding school at the time. What about you?”

“I’ve never been in love,” Kara says softly. There’s a solemn lilt to her voice, and Lena looks over at her, watching as Kara traces small patterns on her palm. “To be honest, for the past two years, most of my energy has been focused on turning Mike down.”

“He’s interested in you?” Lena asks, unable to keep the irritation from her voice. Well, since she’s interested in Kara, too, she understands the appeal. But Mike is the most horrible, obnoxious person she’s ever had the pleasure of meeting, and the thought of Kara having to suffer his advances makes Lena want to sock him in the face.

“He’s made that very clear, actually. Not just to me, but to everyone working in my sector as well,” Kara says, laughing humorlessly. “He’s very loud with his invitations.”

“God, I want to punch him more and more every day,” Lena says angrily, clenching her fists.

Kara meets her gaze then, smiling and huffing out a small laugh. “Well, if you end up doing it, video footage or it didn’t happen.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll see it live and in person. I’ll go over to Major Crimes just to do it,” Lena assures, grinning, and Kara bursts out laughing. Lena pauses for a moment, content to just watch Kara happy, when she remembers what Kara had said earlier. “You’ve never… you’ve never been in love?” she asks softly.

Kara sobers up a little at that, and shakes her head. “No. I used to spend a lot time thinking about it. I guess I’ve always wondered about how it feels. I also used to wonder if I was in love, and just didn’t know it. It’s complicated.”

“I think love is something you can’t exactly describe,” Lena admits, biting her lip. “You just look at someone, and you know.”

Kara doesn’t say anything. Her eyes bore into Lena’s, and Lena really can’t power through. She doesn’t know how she can possibly power through.

The sound of a door opening interrupts whatever moment they’re having, and Lena turns to see one of Ben’s lackeys walking out of the building. She immediately snaps a few pictures with the camera in front of her.

Kara grins. “I guess we’ve got the right building.”

//

Ben Lockwood comes out of the building on the second day. By now, Lena and Kara have asked each other enough questions to last a lifetime.

Kara is asleep when Lena spots Ben walking out of the building, and, out of excitement, she snaps at least ten photos of the man. She’s looking over the pictures when Kara stirs, rubbing her eyes and stretching on the bed.

“Kara,” Lena says, grinning. “I got pictures of Ben Lockwood.”

Kara perks up at that, and scrambles over to stand beside her. Lena flips through the photos in the camera, letting Kara take a look at them.

“And I found a pattern. The lackeys go out, usually in pairs, and walks to that warehouse over there,” Lena points out the window to a warehouse a few buildings away. “Then they come back with duffel bags. I’m thinking those bags contain the money. And weapons.”

“We should contact Captain J’onzz and get a strike team,” Kara suggests, smiling.

It’s then that Lena realizes that this marks the end of their stake-out. And while she does feel a pang of disappointment, she’s also ready to catch Ben Lockwood, then go out and eat Uncle Chen’s potstickers with Kara.

So Lena smiles back at Kara, and nods.

//

The arrest goes a lot quicker than Lena expects.

Ben Lockwood and his lackeys have nothing on the police forces sent to arrest them. Lena doesn’t even have to call in the reinforcements that were arranged, in the event that the initial forces sent in were taken out. Lena herself took out four lackeys and arrested them within a few minutes.

Admittedly, seeing Kara fight and arrest Ben is by far the most attractive thing Lena has ever witnessed in her life. She’s a boring person and hasn’t witnessed many particularly attractive things, but this takes the cake.

Kara barely breaks a sweat. She toys with Ben like he’s an amateur fighter, which, when fighting Kara, is exactly what he looks like.

Lena watches, entranced, as Kara snaps handcuffs on Ben and picks him up from the ground. And then Kara catches her eye and smiles.

If Lena wasn’t a goner from the start, she definitely is now.

And, well, she’s not particularly opposed to that.

//

After settling all the paperwork and the report for the case, it’s finally closed.

And it’s a moment that Lena has been anticipating, but it’s also one that she’s been dreading.

She doesn’t want to think about what follows this. She doesn’t want to imagine the possibilities. What if Kara’s changed her mind? What if she doesn’t want to talk to Lena anymore? What if this whole time, this false hope that they’d continue being friends was just accumulating inside of her, and Kara doesn’t actually want that?

She’s broken out of her reverie when Kara walks up to her, smiling. “We should celebrate closing the case.”

Lena blinks. “Oh, okay. What do you want to do?”

“Well, I’m having a game-night-movie-night thing with my sister and friends tonight. You should come. You can bring your friend, too.”

“My friend?”

Kara gestures to Sam, who is standing a few feet away. She grins and waves when they look over at her. “You two seem to be very close. I thought you’d be more comfortable with her there.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s Sam,” Lena says absentmindedly, still a little out of it. Everything is happening so fast — one moment she’s moping about her feelings for Kara, the next she’s being invited to Kara’s apartment to meet her sister and friends.

“So you’ll come?” Kara asks, and Lena doesn’t want to assume, but there’s something in her voice that sounds a lot like hope.

“Yeah, sure,” she agrees, nodding.

“Great! I’ll text you the address and timing. See you later!” Then Kara pulls her into a hug, and all she feels is Kara’s body pressed against hers, and Kara’s scent fills her senses, and Lena has absolutely no idea what is going on.

Kara’s gone after that, and Sam walks over to Lena. “I hear there’s a game-night-movie-night thing and I’m invited?”

Lena cannot power through.

//

“Maybe we should just go back. Wash my cat or something.”

Sam snorts. “You don't even have a cat.”

“Maybe we should just go back. Wash the cat I’m going to buy or something,” Lena corrects, wringing her hands and staring at the apartment number on the door. There’s music coming from inside, and chatter, and laughter. At this point, Lena just feels intimated.

Sam laughs. “Lena, come on. You can do this. And if you don't want to do this for yourself, do it for me. I’m really hoping Kara’s sister is hot.” Lena swats her at that, and she pouts. “What? I’m just being honest.”

“Fine. Let’s go,” Lena acquiesces, sighing.

Sam grins. “That’s the spirit!” She leans forward and knocks on the door, bumping shoulders with Lena as way of support. “NCPD, open up!” she says jokingly.

Footsteps get closer to the door, then it’s pulled open, and Lena’s greeted with the sight of Kara’s grinning face. “I’m also NCPD, you have no authority.”

“Right, right,” Sam says. “You’re Major Crimes.” She wrinkles her nose to accompany her words, and Kara laughs.

“And you’re a normal detective,” Kara replies, grimacing mockingly. “Absolutely abhorrent.” Then her eyes flit over to Lena, and her smile grows. “Hi.”

Lena smiles back at her. “Hi.”

Before Kara can say anything, a redhead comes to stand beside her. Her eyes fall on Lena. “Hey, you must be Lena. Kara talks about you all the time.”

“Alex!” Kara exclaims, looking horrified. Lena can feel her own cheeks reddening. Kara talks about her? What does she say?

“What? It’s true,” Alex says, shrugging. She turns to look at Lena again. “Anyway, I’m her sister, Alex. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.” She sticks a hand out for Lena to shake, and Lena accepts it, smiling. Then Alex’s eyes flit over to Sam, and her smile turns more curious. “Hi.”

Sam beams. “Hi, I’m Sam. Well, Samantha Arias. But you can call me Sam.” She shakes Alex’s hand, lingering before retreating her hand.

“Alright Alex, you can flirt later,” Kara says, and this time, it’s Alex who looks horrified. “Let’s play some Mario Kart!”

Then Kara’s taking Lena’s hand and guiding her into the apartment, and Lena can barely focus on anything except the feeling of Kara’s hand in hers, and Kara’s excited smile as she introduces her friends to Lena.

Quite frankly, Lena’s content just watching Kara play games. It’s endearing to see her so invested in it, and the fact that Kara is so adorably competitive only serves to make Lena even more captivated by her.

Sam isn’t even around to make fun of her, because she’s too busy flirting with Alex. (“I was right, Lena! Kara’s sister _is_ hot!” Sam had whisper-shouted earlier, just before Kara pulled Lena into the apartment.)

More than a few drinks in, Lena can barely mask the affection she feels towards Kara. This is the first time she’s been anything but sober around Kara, and it’s probably not the best idea to drink, because when she drinks, she loses her inhibitions. And when she loses her inhibitions, she forgets that she’s supposed to suppress her crush.

Kara’s hand lands on top of hers as they’re watching a movie that Lena would be able to describe if she wasn’t spending the duration of it being hyper-aware of Kara’s presence beside her. And their hands brushing is probably an accident, but then again, she’s drunk and feeling infinitely more courageous than she would if she were sober, so she laces her fingers through Kara’s, intertwining their hands.

Kara turns to look at her, a question in her eyes, but Lena simply smiles at her. She doesn’t even stop to think as she loosens her grip a little, flipping over Kara’s hand in hers and using her other hand to traces random patterns on her palm.

She’s so focused on the patterns she’s tracing that she only takes her attention away from it when the sound of Kara’s soft laughter reaches her ears. “What are you doing?” Kara whispers, smiling.

The corners of Lena’s lips tug upwards as she shrugs. “You have beautiful hands,” she says without thought.

“I didn’t know hands could be particularly beautiful or ugly.”

Lena shakes her head. “Your hands are beautiful. You’re beautiful,” she mumbles.

Kara ducks her head, hiding a smile, and Lena reaches out to her chin, gently tipping her head back up. And for a moment, she sobers up, wondering if maybe she’s crossed a boundary. But when Kara’s bashful gaze meets hers, eyes searching her own, something tells Lena she hasn’t done anything wrong.

She doesn’t consider the possible consequences, or the appropriateness of it, when she leans forward, placing a lingering kiss on Kara’s cheek. She feels — and hears — Kara’s breath hitch at the action, and her mind races with thoughts of other things she could do to take Kara’s breath away, to leave her breathless.

“Thank you,” Lena whispers, head leaning against the back of the couch. Her lips brush the shell of Kara’s ear as she speaks, but she’s too tired to move.

Kara turns her head, face only a little more than an inch from Lena’s. “For what?”

“For being an amazing partner. For being my friend, even after the investigation. For everything,” Lena says softly. It’s a wonder she’s even forming coherent sentences — not only is she exhausted, she’s also inebriated, and has basically no filter.

“Why wouldn't I be your friend after the investigation?” Kara asks, voice low so as not to disturb everyone else in the room, who seem to be having their own conversations as well.

“Because I’m weird. And boring. And you’re not.”

“Lena, don't say that. I don't think you’re boring. In fact, you’re one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. And I love being your friend,” Kara whispers back, words soothing and sending warmth spreading through Lena’s chest.

“I don't wanna be your friend. Not just your friend.”

Lena can see Kara frowning in her peripheral, but before Kara can respond, she feels her eyes drift shut, and unconsciousness follows a few seconds after.

//

When Lena wakes up, her head is throbbing.

She doesn't drink often, one of the reasons being how much hangovers suck. And she’s not good at remembering every detail of the previous night, which means that if she says or does something stupid while drunk, there’s a chance she won't remember it the next morning.

Memories of the night before come back to her, but it’s all one big haze. She remembers playing Mario Kart, Sam flirting with Alex, and watching a movie.

Another thing she notes is that she’s not in her apartment. Or her bed.

And she smells pancakes.

She sits up in the bed, noting that she’s in clothes that aren’t hers, and walks out of the room to find Kara humming to herself at the stove.

“Hey,” Lena says, and Kara squeaks in surprise, switching off the stove and turning around. There’s a grin on her face, and Lena can feel her hangover dissipating by the second just by looking at her.

“Morning,” Kara chirps, transferring the pancake she was making from the pan to the small stack already sitting on a plate. She grabs two knives and forks from the drawer, walking over to the table and placing two plates of pancakes and the utensils in her hand onto it. She gestures exaggeratedly for Lena to take a seat, and Lena complies with a laugh.

Then Kara disappears back to the kitchen area, and returns a few moments later with a bottle of syrup and two mugs. “I made pancakes,” Kara starts, then slides one of the mugs in her hands over to Lena, “and coffee.” She takes a seat opposite Lena, still grinning, hair down in waves framing her face.

It takes a moment for Lena to realize that Kara isn’t wearing her glasses. And it makes her eyes look even brighter than they look when she has her glasses on.

Not that Lena’s complaining. It’s really helping to distract her from her hangover.

“You didn’t have to,” is the first thing Lena says.

Kara opens the bottle of syrup, drizzling a generous but not overwhelming amount over her stack of pancakes. “But I did it anyway.” She caps the bottle, passing it to Lena. Then her gaze moves back to Lena’s face, and she smiles.

“Why do you keep smiling?” Lena asks while pouring syrup over her own pancakes, suspicious that there’s something Kara knows that she doesn’t. It must be something she said or did last night. Knowing her lack of filter and inhibitions when she’s drunk, she probably said something stupid, or worth making fun of. Or worse, both.

“Nothing,” Kara replies cryptically. “How are you feeling?”

“My head hurts. But you’re really helping with the hangover,” Lena admits, smiling gratefully at the blonde.

Kara beams. “I’m glad, then.” They both start on their food and coffee, and after a few moments, Kara speaks again. “Do you remember what happened last night?”

“Mario Kart, Sam and Alex getting their flirt on, and a movie. That’s about it,” Lena tries to recall, but it’s all fuzzy, and she can’t for the life of her remember the semantics.

Kara’s smile drops a little, but before Lena can decipher what’s going on, she grins again. “Well, it was a fun night. It was fun seeing you let loose a little. You’re a very emo drunk.”

“So I’ve been told,” Lena replies, laughing. “Ever since the first time I got drunk in front of Sam, she’s never stopped reminding me, on a regular basis, how emo I get when I’m drunk.” Then Lena looks down at the sweatpants she has on, and remembers that she’s not wearing her own clothes. “Why am I wearing these clothes, by the way?”

Kara’s cheeks flush a little, stuffing a bite of pancake into her mouth. “I didn’t want you to sleep in uncomfortable clothes, so I gave you some of my clothes to change into. Considering the fact that you were drunk, I’d say it’s impressive you managed to change on your own.”

Lena snorts. “Maybe. Thank you, though. For the clothes.”

Kara smiles. “You’re welcome.”

There’s a comfortable silence as they slowly work through the stack of pancakes Kara made, and then Kara clears her throat. Lena looks expectantly at her, noting that her cheeks are slightly redder than before. “Um, I actually wanted to talk about something you said last night.”

Lena’s heart rate picks up at that, but she tries her best to be outwardly unaffected. “I probably said a lot of things,” she replies, laughing a little and trying to lighten what is probably going to be a heavy conversation. Kara doesn’t laugh, though, and Lena worries her lip. “Was it bad?”

Kara shakes her head, eyes widening. “No! No, it wasn’t bad. You said it right before you fell asleep, actually.”

“What did I say?” Lena doesn’t know if she wants to hear this. If it’s what she thinks it is, then she’s definitely not prepared to have this conversation with Kara. She’s only known Kara for close to a week, and while they’ve spent a lot of time together so far, it doesn’t seem like the right time to bring up her feelings for her.

“You, um, you said you didn’t want to be my friend,” Kara says. When Lena’s eyes widen in horror, she rushes to continue, “Then you said, uh… not just my friend.”

Lena doesn’t say anything. She can feel her heart thudding wildly in her chest, can hear her own pulse in her ears, and feels heat rushing to her cheeks.

“What did…” Kara trails off, looking down for a moment. Then she looks back up, eyes locking with Lena’s, and Lena can’t bring herself to look away. “What did you mean?”

Lena looks away. “I… I don’t think this is the right time to have this conversation.” Because it’s not. She hasn’t known Kara for long, and certainly doesn’t want to scare her off. And her stupid drunk self is doing exactly that.

_Fucking traitor._

God, she’s going crazy. She’s calling _herself_ a traitor. Who does that?

“What do you mean?” Kara asks, frowning in confusion.

“It’s just not the right time to talk about this, Kara,” Lena says, voice thick. “I don’t know how to explain it. I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“There’s nothing I want you to say,” Kara replies, frown deepening. “I just want you to be honest. But if you’re uncomfortable talking about it, I’m not going to force you.”

Lena sighs, burying her face in her hands. “I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant,” she backtracks. “I’m not good at this,” she says, words muffled by her hands.

Then she feels two hands on hers, gently prying them from her face. And she comes face-to-face with Kara and her stupidly beautiful, earnest smile. “You don’t have to be. I’m not going anywhere, Lena. Even if you don’t want to be my friend anymore. You literally signed up for this, you’re stuck with me now.”

Lena laughs, a short moment of escape — but the reality of the situation still nags at her, and it doesn’t take long for her to sober up. “There are things I’m not ready for you to know. Well, more like things I’m not, or wasn’t, ready to say. And it’s— it’s not because I don’t want to tell you. It’s just because when I say something, it’s out there. And I can’t take it back. It’s scary.” She looks down, tapping her fingers on the table.

“Okay,” Kara says, as understanding as she always is, and Lena falls just a little bit harder.

“I like you, Kara,” Lena finally says, eyes coming up to meet Kara’s.

“As in, like-like me?” Kara asks teasingly, grinning, and Lena reaches over, slapping one of her hands.

“You know what I mean.”

“Do I?” Kara asks, humming thoughtfully. Lena gives her a look, and she comes back to the situation, expression more serious. “So, you have feelings for me.”

“Yes,” Lena says. Having it out in the open feels like a huge weight has been lifted off her shoulders. But the air between them is also heavy with all the possible consequences of Lena admitting her feelings, and it feels almost suffocating.

“That’s good to know,” Kara says, smiling a little.

Lena looks at her, eyes searching Kara’s face. “I…” she trails off, trying to find the words to say. “Look, Kara, we haven’t known each other long. And before we continue this conversation, before you say anything else, I want you to know that to me, it doesn’t feel like the right time. It just doesn’t feel _right_ as a whole.”

“What do you mean by that?” Kara asks, confused.

“I like you, but I don’t _know_ you,” Lena states. “I know you love potstickers. And that you have a nervous habit of adjusting your glasses, and that you love NSYNC, and that you’ve never been in love. And many other things. But a week ago, I didn’t know you existed. I know things about you, but I don’t know _you_. Do you get it?”

Kara looks down, biting her lip. Her brows are furrowed, and Lena just wants to kiss the frown off her face. “Yeah, I get it. Lena, I…” she pauses, then sighs. “Okay, if that’s what you want, I’ll respect it.”

Lena exhales. “I’m sorry.”

Kara shakes her head, forcing a smile, and Lena’s heart breaks. “There’s nothing to apologize for. Really. I’m glad you were honest.”

“Kara, please, say what’s on your mind,” Lena says softly.

Kara meets her gaze then, pain evident in her eyes. “What’s on my mind is that I like you too, Lena. And whether or not you know me, or things about me, or both, that doesn’t matter to me.”

Lena looks down, Kara’s words hanging between them. She doesn’t know what to think. She’s not good at this. And she’s trying but it’s just so _hard_. It’s so difficult to look fear in the eye and face it head-on.

Then Kara speaks again, voice softer this time, “I like you as a person. I like who you are. No matter how much I know about you, there’ll always be more to learn. So, I want to know you, and I want to date you. I can get to know you whether we’re friends, or more. And I do want to get to know you. That’s all I want to do. But, honestly, and selfishly, I don’t want to be your friend, Lena. Not just your friend.”

Lena bites her lip as silence fills the room. Her mind is racing, and Kara definitely has a point, and maybe this whole time she’s just been afraid of going after the one thing she wants, because she’s afraid Kara’s going to walk out on her.

But Kara is right here, sitting opposite her, letting her think, waiting patiently for her response. And Kara isn’t going anywhere, and Lena needs to understand that.

“You’re right,” Lena says. She looks at Kara, who looks at her with open affection, and she knows she wants this, knows she needs to stop being so afraid and just take a leap for once in her life. “I’m not good at combating fear,” she admits. “And it’s not an excuse, but it’s true. But you’re right. I just… give me some time, okay? I need some time.”

Kara’s eyes fill with understanding, and she nods, and god, Lena would be stupid to let her slip through her fingers. “Okay.”

“Thank you,” Lena whispers, ducking her head.

Then she feels a hand gently covering hers, and in her peripheral she sees Kara leaning over the table. Lips press softly to her cheek, lingering before pulling back an inch.

“I’m here, Lena. And I’m not going anywhere.” The words are murmured in her ear, and Lena turns her head, eyes locking with Kara’s, and the memories of the previous night come back to her. She barely focuses on it — the look in Kara’s eye captures all her attention.

And in that moment, she makes her decision.

But she still needs to sort this out — sort herself out. And when she does, Kara will be right here waiting for her.

She’ll power through.

//

The day passes by in a blur. And the moment Lena gets out of work, she texts Kara.

_[Lena] Is that invitation to eat Uncle Chen’s potstickers still on the table?_

Kara’s reply comes in within seconds.

_[Kara] For sure!! I’ve been waiting since our stake-out to bring you there :(_

Lena laughs, typing out a reply.

_[Lena] Alright then, how about tonight? I’ll come over to your apartment first._

_[Kara] Okay, see you! :) <3 _

Lena smiles involuntarily when she sees the heart Kara had added at the end of her message. With every passing second, she feels more and more sure of what she wants to do. Kara deserves that much, and putting this off will only be torturous.

It’s not long before Lena is knocking on Kara’s door, and she’s greeted with a soft, hesitant smile which makes her heart flutter but also drop a little — after their conversation earlier, Kara appears to be more cautious around her, but Lena doesn’t want that. She doesn’t like the idea of Kara feeling like she has to walk on eggshells around her.

The drive is silent, save for Kara humming along to the music playing on the radio, and Lena joining in after some playful encouragement from the blonde. By the time they get to the restaurant, the air between them is a lot lighter, and the heaviness that previously hung between them is now replaced by some sort of charged anticipation.

They’ll inevitably have a conversation. Lena isn’t going to run away from that, and Kara certainly isn’t going to, either. And although Lena’s already made her decision, fear still nags at her, rather annoyingly.

“Are you alright?” Kara’s concerned voice breaks Lena out of her thoughts.

“Yeah,” Lena says, nodding. “Just, um, afraid. What’s new, right?” She laughs humorlessly.

Kara raises an eyebrow at her. “Are you seriously making your fears into a joke?”

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Lena replies, exhaling. “Tonight is on me. Order whatever you want. I’ll pay for it.”

Kara looks at her, and she obviously wants to say something, but she stays silent. Lena gives her a look.

“Kara, just speak your mind.”

Kara clears her throat. “This feels like a date. Is this a date? Because I really want it to be, but I also want to give you time, and I don’t want to overstep,” Kara rambles on, and she stops talking when Lena places a hand atop hers.

“This is whatever you want it to be.”

Kara pauses, then looks at her. “So this is a date?”

“If that’s what you want it to be, then yes, it’s a date,” Lena says, smiling a little. She sees the light come back to Kara’s eyes, and the sight sends a rush through her chest. It’s captivating, and she can’t look away — she doesn’t want to.

“You’ve thought about it?” Kara asks, still a little cautious.

Lena runs her thumb over Kara’s knuckles and nods. “I have. I’m afraid, Kara, and I won’t deny that. But I also really, really want to be with you. And that’s one thing I’m very sure about.”

“So, screw fear?” Kara asks, grinning.

“Fuck fear,” Lena says, snorting. “I trust you, and I trust that you’re not going anywhere. And I want you to know that I’m not going anywhere either. I’m in this with you, no matter what.”

Kara smiles. “Have I ever told you how much I like you?”

“No,” Lena says, laughing. “Have _I_ ever told _you_ how much I like you?”

“Nope,” Kara quips. “But let me say this now — I like you a lot, Lena Luthor. A lot.”

Lena smiles. “I could say the same for you.”

//

As it turns out, Kara’s stomach is quite literally a bottomless pit. She can devour plate after plate of potstickers, and by the end of the meal, Lena is sure her bank account will be half-empty after paying the bill.

But it’s completely worth it, seeing the satisfied, content smile on Kara’s face.

It’s way more than worth it.

And as Lena walks Kara to her door, she wonders what the protocol is. Should she kiss her? Hug her? High-five her? Okay, maybe not high-five her, that’s weird.

“Do you want to come in?” Kara asks.

Lena nods. “Sure.”

“So,” Kara says as they settle onto the couch. “First of all, thank you for paying for dinner.”

Lena waves a dismissive hand. “I asked you out, so I paid. But I’m pretty sure my bank account is empty now. I can’t even begin to comprehend how a single person can consume so many potstickers at once.”

Kara smiles sheepishly. “I eat a lot. But they were good, right?”

Lena nods. “They were. You know, I can't believe that even after all this, you’re still in shape. I bet you have some mad abs or something.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Kara teases, and Lena feels heat rush to her cheeks. She tries to push away the images running through her mind, and she _knows_ that Kara knows what she’s doing, and what’s going through Lena’s head.

She hides her face in her hands, groaning.

“Hey,” Kara says, and Lena removes her hands from her face, looking expectantly at Kara. “Remember when you said you owed me a favor?”

Lena nods. “Yeah, why?”

Kara grins. “Can I cash in that favor now?”

“What do you want me to do?” Lena asks, heart rate picking up at the suggestive smile on Kara’s face.

Kara moves closer to her, and before she knows it, they’re pressed together, barely an inch of space between them. “I’ve been waiting to kiss you since you first said you owed me one, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since,” she murmurs, lips brushing the shell of Lena’s ear.

Lena swallows, the lump in her throat preventing her from saying anything, and then there’s a hand sliding to the side of her neck. “So do me a favor,” Kara whispers, placing a feather-light kiss on her jaw, “and kiss me.”

Lena turns her head, feeling Kara’s thumb running lightly along her skin, and is met with hooded eyes and a soft smile. She doesn’t think as she leans forward, lips pressing to Kara’s.

The tension in her shoulders dissipates the moment their lips meet, and she feels Kara smile against her lips, hand moving to the back of her neck to pull her closer. Lena happily complies, lips moving gently against Kara’s, and all she can think about, all she knows in this moment, is Kara. And her astonishingly soft lips.

When they separate, Kara rests her the side of her head against the back of the couch, eyes closed and lips curled into a goofy smile. Lena’s smile is probably just as goofy, if not more, but she can’t even be bothered to care.

“Can I ask you for another favor?” Kara asks softly, opening her eyes. Her pupils are blown, and her eyes flit down to Lena’s lips.

“Anything.”

“Kiss me again.”

And so Lena does.

//

“I can’t believe that out of all the things you could’ve asked for, you asked for a kiss,” Lena says, laughing.

Kara shrugs, lifting her head from Lena’s shoulder to grin at her. “It was totally worth it. I don’t want anything else from you. I just want kisses.”

“I knew it. That was your master plan all along. You just wanted to use me as practice for your kissing skills,” Lena concludes, nodding. “I must say, I’m surprised. I would never have pegged you as the type who practiced kissing.”

“You figured me out, Luthor,” Kara replies, huffing out a laugh.

“You can’t hide from me, Danvers. I see you,” Lena warns, narrowing her eyes.

“I would never hide from you,” Kara jokes back, but Lena can tell she means it. She smiles softly at Lena again, the same adoring expression she’s been wearing all night, and Lena simply smiles back at her. “Remember how I told you I’ve never been in love?”

Lena nods.

“And you said that you just look at someone, and you know.”

Lena nods.

“Well, I look at you, and I know you’ll be the first one for me, eventually,” Kara says, lips curling upwards. “And hopefully the only one.”

“Really?”

“No, I’m totally pulling your leg,” Kara replies, and at Lena’s narrowed eyes, she laughs. “Yes, really. I’m sure about you, Luthor.”

“I’m sure about you, too,” Lena assures, leaning over and placing a kiss on her lips.

Kara grins. “I’m glad.”

Lena smiles. “Besides, if this whole thing flops, at least I can tell Mike that you’re interested in him so he’ll pester you even more than he already does.”

Kara points a warning finger at her. “You better not. I’m telling him I’m taken first thing tomorrow.”

“Oh, you’re taken? By who?”

“Some detective I met a while back. Drop dead gorgeous. Really intelligent. She was kind of a bitch at first, but she’s a real softie under all those layers. I was actually going to ask her if she’d be my girlfriend.”

Lena grins. “She says yes.”

For the record, Lena still hates Major Crimes.

(Well, save for one detective in that sector.)


End file.
